For decades, Latin America has been at the center of the global drug trade. It has also been its chief victim, as the black market narcotics industry has generated high rates of crime in most every country in the region. For example, kidnapping occurs more often in Latin America than in any other area of the world by far. Furthermore, 16 of the 20 countries in the world with the highest rate of homicide are in Latin America and the Caribbean. Fortunately, Argentina has been able to buck this trend to some extent. Although it should not be considered a low crime country, Argentina does experience significantly less criminal activity than other nations in Latin America. That is why it is regrettable that there have been reports of increasing numbers of kidnappings on Argentinian highways. Continue reading
In our last three articles on kidnapping, we covered the types, geography, and targets of the crime. In this piece, we will present practical information on how to avoid becoming a victim of abduction. While the past few articles should help individuals assess their risk, this piece will identify clear steps to protect people from this crime. The following are ten tips that can be taken in order to reduce the risk of kidnapping. Continue reading
In our last article, we discussed the geography of kidnapping, investigating the regions of the world with the highest incidence of the crime. In this article, we will be examining the potential targets of kidnapping and determine the types of individuals who stand the highest risk of abduction.
The Rich
It should come as no surprise that those capable of generating a large ransom payment are those that stand a higher risk of becoming targets. This is why the wealthy and affluent tend to be the most popular targets of economic kidnapping. However, it is not only the super-rich who are victims of this type of crime. Many middle-class professionals and businessmen have been targeted as well. In many cases, however, it is not the principle income earner who is the victim. Rather, it is those closest to them, such as their wives or children. Continue reading
In our last article, we presented a brief introduction to kidnapping and described the different variants of the crime. In this article, we will be investigating where the incidence of kidnapping is greatest. It is important to note that kidnapping tends to be highly concentrated by region and by country. For example, almost half of all kidnapping on the globe occurs in Latin America. However, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Iraq account for much of the remaining half. Moreover, kidnapping tends to be concentrated in particular areas within any given country. Continue reading
When most people think about kidnapping they think of high-profile events such as the Lindbergh baby or Patty Hearst kidnapping. In general, people seem to believe that kidnapping is something that only happens in the movies or to the incredibly wealthy. To be sure, kidnapping is not a common crime. However, it is more widespread than many suspect. In fact, there are 20,000 to 30,000 reported kidnappings-for-ransom in the world each year. However, the actual number of cases is probably much larger, as the crime goes unreported about 80% of the time. Continue reading